Hearts Pounding
by A Red Rose
Summary: It's been four years since that Halloween party, and Casper's not the only one who wishes it had ended a little differently...What can Kat do to change it? What has happened in the meantime? Better than it sounds. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

1So, I just recently watched Casper for the first time in years and fell in love with it again. It's amazing, even though the ending still makes me angry. Beautiful, yet so bittersweet. Of course, that's why I decided to do a series of stories to ensure a happy ending for Casper. This is obviously the first one I'll be getting up, but I have a story about the night of the Halloween party, and another future event. This one will be more of a works in progress. It was all originally intended to be a oneshot but then the writing started flowing and it was going to end up being too long and complicated, so I separated them. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Casper. Or he would be human again.

_Friday._ _December 8__th__ , 1999._

It was a little pathetic, really. Kat was so easily lulled to sleep no matter the time of day or place. To the sound of a lullaby, the sound of rain, being rocked to sleep-as a small child of course-or just watching snowflakes fall against the window. The last was what currently brought Kat to her sleepy state. Only problem was, she wasn't at home, warm in her bed with her big comforter wrapped around her.

She was in at Friend High School, in Calculus class with Mr. Boyle as a teacher. Not the place to take a nap, not at all. The high school senior was just so exhausted that it couldn't be helped. The rumors of senior year being a breeze were a complete sham, Kat Harvey had learned. Of course, that might be due to the fact that she was taking all AP and Honors courses this year. Dad and his stupid lecture at the end of junior year, encouraging her to not make her last year of high school a joke. After all, working hard for three years would go to waste if she stopped now. And of course, Kat listened. You think she wanted to give up her 3.7 GPA and class rank of 23rd? Hell no.

But if she kept falling asleep in class-this one particularly-colleges would be turned off by a list of detentions. So far Kat had lucked out, getting by with warnings. Teachers respected how hard Kat worked and knew it would only be natural for her to be tired. All the classwork she had to keep up with! It was wonder that she didn't have a breakdown. In the end though, it never dawned on them to lighten up on the homework load; that would be the last answer in their minds.

Yet as Kat thought about this somewhat amused as she drifted off to dreamland, she considered how insulted her teachers would be if they knew that it wasn't their work that kept her so tired. Truth be told, Kat worked through the homework in a breeze, starting the minute she got home and finishing by 5:30, right in time for dinner. The rest of her evenings were left open for whatever she wanted, which usually consisted of talking to friends on the phone for awhile, then finding Casper and exploring Whipstaff in bouts of mischievousness.

It was during such a night, just last week, that Kat, while running around the house with Casper-well, he floated-had run into a little room she had never seen before in the attic. She couldn't really make anything out as it was dark so early now, but she could see the outlines of what looked like a large armchair and a chaise set up against the walls with a single box sitting between them. Figuring that Casper would keep going for awhile before a while before he realized she wasn't with him anymore-he really was a funny thing, with more energy than a ghostly 12 year old should be allowed-, Kat took the box and made her way back to the bedroom that she shared with Casper.

Sitting down on the bed and sinking lightly into the covers, Kat wrenched the box open and found a large stack of orderly papers, pressed down by a black opal paperweight. She slid the papers out from under it carefully and unbent the corners of the top paper. It was an account of James Theodore McFadden's time at the Boston Asylum; when he was first admitted and when he left. Kat saw that he had arrived July 3rd, 1906. He had gone a little wild at home in Whipstaff Manor on June 23rd- Casper's birthday. He would have been 13. His father had started screaming about how he would find a way to restore life to his son if it was the last thing he ever did and was throwing heavy items all around the library. At one point a sharp object he attempted to throw cut him and James had paused, staring at the blood and then stabbed his arm again and again. The hired help had found him like this and were understandably frightened. Kat couldn't imagine how she would feel to find someone in that state of mind. The papers underneath were notes from Mr. McFadden's psychiatrist during his visit, and they were full of memories of Casper.

It seemed that Casper -Casper _James_ McFadden had been quite a mischievous boy. Although he had just started boarding school a year before he died, he'd had plenty of time to cause chaos, if the late McFadden's humorous account of an angry call for Casper's principal meant anything. Apparently Casper had led some classmates into sneaking a group of toads into a Professor Stockley's classroom, causing the man to pale and immediately reprimand the entire class. But before he found the culprits, Stockley had sat down at his desk chair, only to belatedly find it covered in superglue. The class erupted in an uproar of laughter, and McFadden also recounted an elated Casper's retelling of the story when he'd come home for one of his occasional visits. McFadden had ostensibly only laughed and embraced "_his dear boy, the joy of his life," _ Kat read with a slight smile. She could see this side of the friendly ghost she knew so well. Casper would never intend to hurt anyone-he just had a lively sense of humor.

And not for the first time, Kat wondered what it would have been like to live in the same time as Casper, to know him when he was alive. The night of her Halloween party had served only to make her admit to the feelings she'd been unsuccessfully repressing for the ghost. After all, she herself would get thrown in a mental institution if people knew she was falling for a ghost. At the party she'd been given the glimpse of human Casper; he'd took her hand, danced with her, held her in his arms, given Kat her first kiss. Kat would have done anything to keep him in human form.

Kat had shifted through the rest of the papers documenting McFadden's stay at the asylum, laughing at his stories about Casper and his earlier life with his brothers-the infamous Ghost Trio. But just when she almost put them away for the night, Kat noticed another paper in the bottom of the box. It was so worn and crinkled that it had just blended in with the box, and when she picked it up Kat handled it with great delicacy. Unfolding it she struggled to read the writing. It was very messy, completely the opposite of McFadden's psychiatrist. Every inch was with what looked like different formulas, different chemical equations.

Her heartbeat increased as she looked at what had to be McFadden's early attempts of creating what she now knew as the Lazarus formula. A formula to bring someone back to life. It had been McFadden's obsession during the last years of his life, with his utmost desire to restore life to his dead son, Casper. But everything Kat saw looked like failed attempts, full of mistakes and the handwriting got messier with each new try. Kat frowned as she saw that it wasn't likely that any one of these formulas could work. She would have dearly loved to try to make that formula. She sighed and flopped herself back on the bed, completely frustrated.

Kicking the rug that was next to her bed, Kat stopped short when she felt the floor start to give. She snapped up quickly and bounced of the bed, pushing the rug out her way to examine. One of the boards was loose, but Kat wasn't surprised; it didn't match the rest of the wood. It was quite drastically different and she wondered how someone had accidentally placed it there. Unless...unless of course it was on purpose. To throw someone off in order to hide something.

With a grunt Kat wrenched the board out of place and fell back with the force of it giving way. She sat back up and peered into the dark hole, finding only a simple black box. Curious, Kat reached in to grab it, grimacing as she ignored the cobwebs that engulfed it.

"There you are! I've been looking for you all over! Your dad said dinner's not ready yet, so we still have some free time! Do you want to go outside and play some baseball?" Kat jumped, almost scared out of her skin when Casper zoomed in right behind her, launching into a stampede of question, as was his habit. Kat took a deep breath and slid so that she hid the hole from Casper, who was now flying around happily.

"Casper you nearly gave me a heart attack! I know you sometimes forget but, I really can't sense when you're coming. I'm only human. Give some warning next time?" She tried to glare at him, but like always it was no use. Casper rendered her temper useless-against him at least.

He did have the manners to at least look abashed. "I'm sorry Kat, I just get so excited sometimes! You know that, and I know that you know that. And I also know that you love me too much to really be mad Besides, I really do want to play baseball! What do you say?" Casper looked so exhilarated that Kat had to laugh and shake her head at him. "You are very good at killing my temper, I'll give you that! But don't you know? It's _freezing_ outside! Typical Maine winter in early December, you know?"

Kat almost regretted telling him that, because his eyes immediately died. His death day, December 20th, was coming up before too long, and Casper was always miserable during this month. It brought back painful memories he could suppress any other time of the year. There was also the fact that it meant another year of his existence had passed where he was ghost. Strangely enough his mind had matured to that of a 16 or 17 year old boy recently, yet his corporal form remained that of a 12 year old. And all the time, Kat continued to age; she had turned 17 November 9th.

Luckily they were saved by Dr. Harvey's squeaky holler that dinner was ready to be served. Casper made his speedy escape, leaving Kat to wallow in guilt. She threw that feeling aside though, and reached back into the floors hole to grab the box. Kat placed it on floor, and opened it gingerly, avoiding touching it as much as possible. When it was open she stared at the contents quizzically. It seemed to almost be a like a chemistry set, with little containers of chemicals and strange looking ingredients. There was a sheath of paper rolled up in it as well, tied with a red ribbon.

Her heart pounding once again, Kat slid the ribbon off and unfurled the paper excitedly. She smiled and laughed, finding exactly what she had wanted. It was the recipe to the Lazarus formula, and McFadden's account about his elation at finally finding the right equation. Perfect.

And it was over this sheath of paper that Kat mulled over late every night, completely draining her of sleep. It so excited her that she couldn't put it down. She was quickly becoming obsessed with it, and pulled it out from hiding under her bed the second she was convinced that Casper had fallen asleep. She would read it over and over again until by now she knew it by heart, and so it occupied her thoughts at school as well. So it was no wonder that she was so sleepy.

The sound of a ruler snapped on her desk brought Kat out of her reverie and she yelped involuntarily. Snorts of her fellow students accompanied a low growl in Mr. Boyle's throat as he stared down at her with injured contempt in his eyes. Kat could only stare back helpless, trying to bite down laughter. Awakening to Mr. Boyle's old, wrinkled face was quite different than the way she had been imagining waking up for the past month. His face so close to hers, with his mouth drooping open and breathing disgusting breath on her face was definitely not what she pictured. But now probably wasn't the best time to think about that.

Kat looked at Mr. Boyle meekly, hoping that he couldn't tell that she didn't care about falling asleep in class. "Miss Harvey, this is the third time in the past week that you have fallen asleep in my class. Do you find something to be wrong with the way I teach? Or are you simply bored, and feel yourself above your fellow classmates? If you prefer, I could take away this time to explain this nights homework, since you can't be bothered to pay attention."

She swallowed hard. The worst thing about Mr. Boyle had to be the fact that he spit when he talked if he was angry and being that he was so close to Kat she found herself sprayed with his saliva. She tried not to vomit and glanced apologetically at her classmates, especially her good friends Stephen and Laurie. They offered amused grins in return and rolled their eyes behind Mr. Boyle's back, and seeing this encouraged Kat. So she piped up, "Sorry sir, I don't mean any disrespect at all. I just haven't been sleeping well lately. And...well...I already completed this night's assignment when you first started explaining it." Kat spoke with such disarmingly real regret that Mr. Boyle took a step back and blinked. He then sighed, and shook his head in exasperation. "Well do see that you fix that. Sleep is important you know. And if you are so far ahead of everyone, perhaps you would care to explain it to your peers if they don't understand it-Oh drat, class is over. See you all on Monday.

The class chatted animatedly as they quickly gathered their books and scurried out of the classroom. Kat in particular was glad that it was time for the weekend, because that gave her all the more time to work on creating the Lazarus formula. It would just be hard trying to stay away from Casper; they spent so much time together...

"Hey girl, come back to the world of the living. I know you got a thing for the dead, or the undead rather, but please stay with us, we need you," Stephen teased as he and Laurie caught up with Kat. The three had been very close friends for over a year and were often seen around town together. When Kat first moved to Friendship, she hadn't found many of its living occupants as welcoming as one dead one, but things started to change after the Halloween party. Amber had lost control of her classmates and people were more likely to talk to her than before. They had raved about the party and how they needed to have another Halloween party at her house. Kat was thankful that no one brought up Casper, because that was something she truly didn't want to put up with. But yes, everyone had helped her to finally feel like she belonged somewhere.

Kat rolled her eyes at Stephen. "If you must know, I _don't_ have a thing, for the dead or undead. Living is my thing. But I'm questioning how much you value your own life at the moment. Keep it up." Stephen just grinned at her cheekily and swung his arm around Laurie. The handsome black haired, brown eyed male had liked the gorgeous blonde and blue eyed girl for over a year before he'd mustered up the courage to ask her out last year. Of course, it had taken a great deal of pushing and threatening from Kat, who know that Laurie reciprocated his feelings. But Kat was sworn to secrecy by both and it drove her crazy to know that her two good friends were being so stupid about each other. It finally took a threat of castration for Stephen to ask Laurie out. They ended up going out, and Kat could bask in the glory of being the one to bring them together. "Of course he values his life. He has a date tonight with a very gorgeous lady. Sorry we won't be able to hang out tonight, but you know it's our 1 year anniversary. Maybe tomorrow night?" Laurie was soft spoken, but one of the sweetest and most entertaining people Kat had ever met. She could talk about anything to her and know that Laurie listened to everything. Kat also appreciated how it hadn't become awkward between the three once Stephen and Laurie had started dating. They were such good friends.

"Don't be silly, I don't mind. Besides I have stuff to think about tonight. We'll see about tomorrow night. You guys have a good time, and I'll talk to you later." They had arrived at Whipstaff manor, for most homes were within walking distance of Friendship High School. Kat opened the gate quickly and heard Stephen's excited question of what she had to think about, and Laurie's gentle but insistent assurance that it was none of his business.

She walked the road, hearing the crunch of the snow below her feet as she came home to Whipstaff Manor. Kat remembered the first time she'd seen the manor, how she had viewed it with derision and questioning her dad's sanity more than ever for bringing them there. Had she ever thanked him for doing so? It was the best thing to ever happen to Kat.

At least, one of the best things.


	2. Chapter 2

1Ok, I am so bad. I am so, so sorry! Oh my gosh I never intended to go this long without updating! Life just took over- I'm a freshman in college now. Ha, yeah let's not go there. 'Stressed out' might as well be my middle name.

Well I had some free time today and instead of doing research for my final paper, I decided to write the rest of this chapter. Mind you, it's not up to my best quality (I actually am usually a pretty good writer, especially if you ask my English professor) but I just wrote for the sake of writing and enjoying it. Not my best work and I bet there are mistakes everywhere, but I just wanted to get it up on the site so you can read it! It's a little bit longer than the first chapter too, as an apology. So please accept my apology in this form, and I hope it's not _too_ bad.

Enjoy and I hope everyone in the US had a happy Thanksgiving!

Oh and I gotta say...(Yes We Can!!! =D) teehee

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Or Casper would be human.

_Yep, it's still Friday._ _December 8__th__ , 1999._

Sigh.

Yes, another sigh. Followed by another. Kat was starting to become annoyed with herself. Seriously, when did she, of all people, lead such a boring life. She freaking lived with _ghosts_; it's practically forbidden to feel boring in such circumstances. Or it should be at the very least.

When Kat opened the door to Whipstaff Manor, everything seemed in place. There was that same, vague musty scent in the air that existed no matter how times James Harvey used the latest Plug-it in. The same cobwebs that Kat endured a screaming match over with Stretch; they made her sneeze everytime she walked by yet she couldn't dust them away because Stretch was _friends_ with them. Don't ask Kat; if you do, she'd just tell you these misty jerks were nothing but the figments of a bad imagination gone wrong when Dad hadn't stopped her from having imaginary friends until the age of 9. Yep, totally his fault.

But really. Everything was just as it had always been to the naked eye, but Kat had rapidly developed an eagle eye since living at the manor. You just didn't go around the place naively. And that is precisely why she noticed the silence. Total, eerie silence. And it sent a shiver of fear down Kat's spine.

"You'd think living with ghosts would be enough to send me over the edge with fright. But no, I'm scared shitless because the ghosts are quiet...just as dead people should be. I make no sense," Kat muttered to herself on the way to the kitchen. "Casper! I'm home! Do you want to-Casper? Casper, I _told _you, it's not fair when you go invisible on me!" She threw herself into a chair at the table and ripped her gloves off, pouting. How pathetic was it when her best friends were out on their one year anniversary and her she was pouting because a ghost was hiding from her. Kat Harvey was lame. With capital letters. Bah.

Tapping her fingers against the table's surface Kat huffed angrily and then laughed at herself derisively. What was she doing? This was a total waste of time! Obviously she was alone in an incredible house, and that hadn't happened in years. No really, Kat could not remember the last time she had actually been alone and while that is good and all for some people, this teenage girl had felt like exploding for some time. She could visit Casper's old playroom, look through the family library, maybe even take a shower without Casper sneaking a peek (he really was becoming quite the rascal! Thinking he was so clever but she saw him and decided to take revenge by moaning "Oh Casper!" Needless to say if a ghost could blush, Casper would have been redder than red when she met him later on downstairs cheerfully). Or maybe a nap; now would be the _appropriate_ time. But alas, she was Kat Harvey, and did not have quite the reputation of doing the proper thing.

Grabbing a cookie Kat bounded out of the kitchen and made her way into the library, one of her old time favorite haunts in the entire house. The first year of living at the manor Kat had practically lived solely in the library itself. An avid reader, Kat had been thrilled to find old editions of novels such as "Vanity Fair" and "Gone With The Wind." Such days that she could spend endless hours reading were long since gone; that was what high school did to you.

"This is so weird...no wonder people get freaked out by this house. I'm freaked out right now." To be sure, there was nothing to worry about at the moment. But the memory of people who lived out their lives in both happy and sad times lingered on and touched each room. Kat smiled sadly at a low shelf in the corner of the room, dedicated to children's stories. Casper's old story books had long been pushed to the side in an attempt to downsize the misery, and Kat never had the courage to approach them. She could, however, picture the little boy Casper crowing with joy as he learned to read on his own, with his parents offering happy praise. God, she had to stop. Forcing herself to remember why she had come in, Kat sunk into a old-fashioned, deep cushioned chair right by the lamp-stand. The third Harry Potter sat just where she had left it the week before. Surely it was easy reading, but that was part of the story's charm, no?

Sure enough, within no time at all Kat fell into a deep sleep. The end of a very busy week makes for a very tired high school senior, and it is never a mystery when they end up sleeping the entire afternoon away. For all her naps in school, Kat never felt quite caught up on sleep and as she was wont to do, ended up dreaming of Casper. This would have irked Kat if only she had been conscious...

Kat remembered when she had first become aware of Casper's tendency to be a peeping Tom whenever she took a shower. It wasn't clear just how long he'd been at it, but she caught him nevertheless. Just a few weeks after last year's Halloween party with the...interesting interaction they'd had. So of course, things were awkward; Casper was moody and Kat was jumpy. It was starting to look like nothing would return to their standard of normal when Kat had come home after a trying night at work and decided to treat herself to a long, hot bath...

James Harvey had made an effort to update certain parts of the manor and Kat's bathroom was one of them. She was now the happy owner of a jacuzzi bathtub and would sometimes disappear into the bathroom for hours if she could find a good book to occupy herself with. This night had been one of those nights, and the bathroom got particularly steamy on this occasion. In fact, it still surprised Kat that she ever even saw Casper; he had really almost blended in with all the steam. But there he was, visible in the corner of her eye, staring at her like there was no one else on the earth. Now, Kat wasn't sure if she should be flattered or horrified. She already knew that he wanted her; that much was evident on Halloween. And she knew that sentiment was reciprocated on her part, so could she really get mad? "_Yes and no_," Kat told herself, _"but I _can_ get even."_

Maybe it wasn't the most _tactful_ tactic, given their history, but Kat couldn't think about that at the moment. So she just threw her head back and let out a long moan, "Oh _Casper_," she said softly enough that the sound wouldn't travel too far, but loud enough for Casper to notice. A telltale swishing sounded and Casper disappeared the minute Kat lay her eyes on him. And as soon as she was certain she was alone, Kat burst out laughing. Oh but she was mean!...

"Kat?...Kat? You're laughing through your nose again and you'll choke. I can't do CPR if you haven't noticed." Suddenly there was a cool breeze on Kat's face and her eyes shot open as she jumped up. Did she fall asleep in class _again_? Wait, no...it was the weekend! Right. Hm, Casper, speak of the devil.

"Ah so you're finally talking to me again, are you?" Kat questioned, a bit testy. It was true though; Casper hadn't said so much as "Good morning," and "Goodnight," to her for the past week. A girl could only take so much moping from the friendly ghost that they secretly adored, and Kat reached her limit on day one. Thankfully, Casper had the grace to look sheepish.

"Sorry, it's just the time of year. Most beings get more cheerful as Christmas draws near, but I find it more depressing than being dead. I'm pretty weird, huh?" Casper tried to crack a joke and funnily enough, it actually did make Kat smile. He talked of being depressed but looked a million times happier than he had for the past two weeks. Even a little mischievous...could be cause for suspicion...

She couldn't put a finger on it and continued to look at Casper, obviously bemused and unaware of his uncomfortable yet intense stare in return. "Umm, can you stop staring at me? I'm just a big white blob; nothing unusual in your life," he chirped. Kat blinked rapidly and shook her head, laughing. "Very funny mister! But to start with, you've been pulling a regular disappearing act for the last week or so; I must get myself reacquainted with your 'big white blobness', so to speak. And you do look different...in fact you look _longer_! Casper what happened?! You're almost as long as Stretch!" It was true; Casper was no longer short and round. If it was possible for a ghost to do so it had happened; Casper had filled out, growing much longer. But he was still the same friendly ghost.

Casper looked at Kat, perplexed, then gazed down at his misty figure to find that he had indeed, sprouted. There was a minute of silence and then Casper shrugged as he looked back at Kat with the expression that told Kat he was about to go into one of his weird ghosty stories.

"Oh, yeah. Well, last year after the events of the uh, Halloween party I had to go with my uncles to a ghosts Halloween party; it's tradition every year to go! They're great!...but anyway. This will sound so corny, but there are ghost elders; ghosts who have been around for centuries. They are sort of like leaders for us, they provide guidance for us younger ones. But I get along real well with one of them, Reginald, and he tricked me into talking about you. I'll cut the whole story short; because of what happened between you and I, I'm starting to, well, grow. It's been in minuscule amounts this past year until these last couple of weeks where, as you can evidently see, I've grown a lot longer. It's weird, but good. Stretch can't beat me up as easily now!"

Kat just stared at him incredulously. "Ghosts have Halloween _parties_? That is so not Hollywood; all the ghosts in movies take out their misery on living people by scaring the crap out of them, there's no celebrating being undead. Just how much of a ghostly culture is there?"

Casper sighed. "Is that really all you got out of the story?

She giggled. "Of course not. I just love giving you a hard time, you know that! But that doesn't make any sense, why would you have grown just because of Halloween? It's not as if we..you know..." _Went all the way_ she finished in her head. Well this was awkward; there had not been a single, direct conversation with Casper that involved this rather touchy subject in over a year. Kat had finally given up venturing toward the topic on the occasion that Casper glowered at her. There was nothing frightening about Casper whatsoever until he delivered one of those looks and it made Kat question why the thought of living with ghosts didn't send her quavering under her bed. So for him to bring it up even indirectly was a surprise. It had been even longer since Casper had stared so intently into Kat's eyes, as though he could look straight into her soul. Kat forgot how to breathe as she blushed due to the intensity of his gaze.

The sound of a clatter broke the stillness and both looked around in wonder, then resigned amusement as the cackles of Casper's uncles sounded ever closer. The conversation Kat so wanted to have would evidently have to be put off once again. It was especially frustrating that Kat could blush so profusely because of a ghost who was once a man that made Kat want to do inappropriate things that would give her father heart failure if he only knew and that said ghost could render her speechless with a simple look.

***

It had been a very long day, Kat realized very suddenly as she hung up the phone from a long talk with Laurie. Certainly the day had dragged itself out needlessly. After her very important conversation with Casper was interrupted, every minute had taken its time in passing, or so it felt to her. Dinner had been a loud, noisy affair just as it always was at the big weekend dinner before they all went off to do their own things. Stinky had accidentally set himself off and killed the already bad pasta salad James Harvey had attempted to make in the latest round of his hobbies: cooking. They changed from year to year. One year it had even been knitting. As it was December, James' cooking would soon end. That was something to be grateful for on Christmas.

The whole evening had irritated her though. Kat had wanted nothing more than to go to bed since the moment dinner was over, but it was not to be. Almost immediately following dinner Kat had been challenged to a snowball fight and if it were not for Casper she would have had to go it alone. But for Kat Casper had given up his dislike of the winter weather to team up with her and send the mad trio flying into the distance. As soon as it was over though Casper zoomed off, gasping offhandedly that he was in a bit of pain and that he'd return shortly. Kat had shrugged and gone up to her number one favorite place in the house; her bathtub.

Nothing like a nice, long, hot bubble bath to soothe the day away. Amelia had always said this when Kat was growing up. Every winter on a snowy day after they'd finished playing outside, Amelia would fill the tub to nearly the rims and then put in lavender scented bubbles mix. It was the exact scent of Amelia's perfume and so by the time Kat would finally emerge all prune-y from her bubbly haven, she would be comforted by the smell of her mother all around her. To this very day Kat always insisted on lavender scented bubbles and as Kat sank into the tub sighing with relief, she smiled at the memories of childhood. Settling in, she grabbed her Harry Potter book and settled in for relaxation.

Instead of reading though, Kat found herself thinking about Casper. Today had been a step in the right direction; he had broached the subject of last Halloween all on his own without any prompting on her part. Definite progress there, and there was no doubt that event was something they needed to discuss eventually. It was such a hard subject for them both, him especially. She knew Casper didn't think Kat took it as hard, but it sucked. A lot. That night a little over a year ago, Kat would have had no problem giving her virginity up to Casper; she honestly couldn't imagine there would ever be a person she'd want to share that moment with more. But stupid Casper had to go all _noble_-said it wouldn't be right, that she deserved better. So they'd ended up laying there talking softly until Kat fell asleep. Then when she woke up he was gone, without any sign of having ever been there.

It had been so awkward; she woke up late the following morning to find Casper in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her. She hadn't been prepared for this kindness and tried to thank him, only to receive an _apology_ for his actions before zooming off and leaving her to eat in confused silence. Kat'd had enough of that confused, awkward silence that was always there between them this past year, even when they both seemed at ease together. It was always there. Kat knew he was disappointed to find himself a ghost again- she didn't even _know_ how he'd managed to become human again that night; it was just further proof of a lack of communication. And it annoyed the hell out of her.

She didn't know what it was, but Kat knew something in her had come to life that night. Casper had just had such a profound effect on her. It wasn't fair, the way he'd taken her by surprise. He was tall (definitely not fair), gorgeous, funny, courteous, and head over heels for her. Not to mention a damn good kisser. It would be fate's hand, of course, that he just couldn't stay human. "It's official. I've finally gone bonkers; I'm obsessed with a ghost," Kat declared to her audience of bubbles. They wouldn't question her.

It was a good thing that Laurie was sleeping over the next night; Laurie was a brilliant chemist and Kat was going to need all the help she could get in correctly creating the Lazarus formula. Casper's days as a ghost were numbered if she was going to have anything to do with it.

***

Kat shivered into consciousness. It was 2 am and having finally made her way into bed a few hours ago, she'd proceeded to fall asleep with her book on her face. Very hard for breathing, but mind you it was the cold that woke her. The wind blew harshly into her room and Kat sat up quickly. When had she opened the balcony doors? She loved fresh air as much as the next person, but she preferred to be able to feel her toes. Muttering to herself, Kat mustered her way out of bed and pulled on her sweatshirt from the floor before going to close the doors. Doing so she rubbed her arms and shivered again, looking outside. She didn't like sleeping alone Casper's room. Ever since last year she'd made that distinction; it was his room, not hers. It felt odd to be here without him now. But it was way too late for deep thoughts; sleep was supposed to be full of shallow and happy thoughts. Or it would be in a perfect world, Kat mused as she got back into bed, never noticing the lump under the covers. Curling up into herself, Kat tried to will herself back to sleep when she suddenly felt hot breath very close to the back of her neck. _Oh God_ there was someone in her bed _oh God oh God oh-_

But before Kat could scream, strong arms curled around her waist before reaching up to clamp a hand over her mouth. A deep voice chuckled softly. "Are you always this jumpy when you're barely conscious? Or am I just lucky to have the excuse to get this close to you?"

Kat would recognize the mischievous timbre of that voice anywhere, even if she'd only heard it once before. Eyes wide she spun onto her back and stared at a human Casper incredulously, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter, before attempting to shout his name. She never got the chance though, because Casper hovered over her and kissed her deeply, apparently intent on showing her just how damn good a kisser he was.

A/N: Oh I'm evil to end on that kind of cliffhanger, huh? So...this story is starting to take a different shape than I'd intended. But I think it's a more of a twist than Kat just doing it all on her own and then her and Casper living happily ever after. But yes, Casper is a human right now; that was an idea I came up with just as I was writing it. I'm actually pleased with the chapter; it's a bit more of a filler chapter than anything in my opinion, but I still think some good stuff is going on. Again, I apologize for the long delay and I hope it isn't_ too_ bad. I haven't had the opportunity for creative writing in close to a year! So this was very refreshing.

Two things: Who wants to be awesome and help me come up with a list of ingredients for the Lazarus formula? I always like when other authors include their readers (I think it's a sign of appreciation) and you had great feedback on the first chapter and "Once Again," so any ideas would be very welcome! And 2) I kinda threw something out there about a ghosts' Halloween party. Would people be interested in reading a short companion piece dealing with that? I don't want to write it if there's no interest, but _I_ am interested lol and curious to find out more about that myself.

So R+R and I PROMISE not to take so long on the next update. I am in fact writing out the plan for the next chapter before I pass out momentarily and will go from there.


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, how college takes over my life! I started this story when I was still in high school. Trust me, I had no intention of letting it go so long with only two chapters! So here is yet another attempt at getting back into the swing of things. I hope it is satisfactory lol, I haven't done any creative writing in quite some time!

Once again, I apologize for the long wait. I actually did start it the night I posted the second chapter, but I've done some serious editing and revising. Hope you enjoy! Oh and thank you so much for all the positive feedback! One of these days when I post a chapter I'm hoping to acknowledge everyone. I'll get to that I promise, and the wait for chapter 4 won't be as long!

I hope the style hasn't changed too much from the previous chapters, and that you like it just as much! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Really, really don't own Casper. Or there would have at least been a sequel where he comes to life and stays that way.

_Wee hours of Saturday morning, December 9__th__, 1999._

Nothing in the world could have prepared Kat for the moment she was currently living. Oh, certainly she'd longed for Casper to be a human, quite keenly in fact. The past year had been nothing but a continuous echo of that wish, but Kat's magic went no farther than being full of compassion for her ghostly friend. As good as it was, compassion could not bring the dead to life.

So how then, was Casper now able to ravish her mouth so very thoroughly, as he did at this exact moment? Not that there was anything to complain about; Kat sighed as she reciprocated Casper's enthusiasm. He was no longer bashful about using his tongue-or his teeth for that matter, and the way he was pulling her bottom lip between his teeth only made Kat wish he would never stop. Though Kat did have to wonder when Casper had maneuvered his way on top of her without her noticing, or how he'd managed to wrap her legs around his waist as he gripped her thigh. Also, leave it to Kat to fail to notice that Casper was shirtless; had he come that way, or was Kat responsible for that particular naughtiness?

If Kat hadn't known anything of Casper as a human, she would have been surprised at his daring, but from her traipsing throughout the manor she knew he was quite the mischievous and playful character. He must be enjoying the close proximity in the cliché picture it presented; a high school girl with a strange boy in her bed, the house almost all to themselves. Almost, except one..

Suddenly a horrible thought struck and Kat's eyes flew open in terror, and she shoved an affronted Casper away as she sprung out of her-Casper's bed..really. Wait, if he was human…and this was _his_ room-

"Casper! You're human!" She gasped. He leaned on his elbow on the bed and looked at the half asleep girl with amused concern. "Yes, I do believe I'm aware. And I know you're aware, as I have quite enjoyed introducing you to the matter. Is it not to your liking?" Casper tried to tease her, but Kat could hear the hint of worry that betrayed the boy she knew; though he was now a charming, bold human boy, there inside was still the ghost who wanted to make everyone around happy before he himself could be.

She sighed again, biting down a grin as she ignored the crying wind outside, hurling itself against her door in question of shelter. Kat eased back down on the bed and cautiously reached out a hand to run through his hair. The worry in his eyes vanished and a smile lit up Casper's face as he reached out to bring Kat closer again, and the pair lay on their sides facing each other quietly for a short time. Kat had longed for this for the past year, but somehow she knew her longing had not even half the power of Casper's. Though Kat knew her existence was a poignant motivation in Casper's desire to be human, it went so much further than her, encompassing the longing of a lonely boy over the course of nearly 93 years.

"Dreams can come true, it seems," Kat thought aloud breathlessly, not even meaning to, as Casper slowly leaned in to kiss her again. He laughed against her lips, and twisted until Kat rested on top of him, his hands moving dangerously close to her bottom. "I know you didn't mean to say that out loud, but it just made my night," he smiled at her.

Casper cupped her face in his hands for a second before sliding them back down, really feeling her body in every new spot they touched. She reveled in the experience of his hands through her admittedly thin, worn thermal shirt when she remembered the reason for her minor freak out just a few minutes before.

"Casper!" Kat sat up, still straddling Casper, though she didn't seem to notice. But Casper certainly did, and it took the best of him to focus his attention on whatever words she needed to say, rather than the way their bodies were currently touching. But then…he was only human.

"Yes, Kat? I'm all ears," he said unhurriedly, staring up at the girl he considered his angel. Kat stared back down at Casper, trying to make her words leave her mouth correctly. She was normally such an adept speaker, but every time she had encountered human Casper, words and regular functioning seemed to flee. "Ears…you have ears. You're human!" She reiterated her statement from before, and Casper laughed. "Indeed! Would you like a further investigation? " he asked cheekily, clearly inviting her to what he so wanted to engage in. Kat stuck her tongue out at him and ignored him.

"Shut up, smartass. I mean that you're a human _boy_, and my room is _your_ room. And you're human, and we live in the same room. And my dad is right down the hall. You're human, and we're here, and wait..just _how_ are you human anyhow?" Kat didn't care if her words didn't flow, or if they only left her more confused than before. The night with Casper didn't make sense, as wonderful as it was-Kat had no clue as to how the events had unfolded that enabled Casper to now sit up in bed with her legs still wrapped around him. Kat ignored the fact that he was shirtless and looked into the blue eyes she dreamed of so many times. Answers for her questions needed to happen now; making out would resume after.

Casper sat there with Kat in his lap, considering her with his eyes quietly as he thought through everything before speaking. There was so much to say, and he was still trying to understand it all himself. How could explain it to the girl of his dreams? Maybe he should've waited a little longer before making this encounter…No. He'd driven himself nutters with waiting for long enough. Casper would make do with what he understood, and whatever was left over to discover reason for…he would make that discovery together with Kat. So he took a deep breath, and scooted the pair backward so he could lean against the headboard before reaching to take both her hands in one of his.

"I…have been human every night since Halloween, I-no wait, please don't interrupt!" he cut himself off as Kat looked furious; he grasped both her hands now to prevent a beating. "You asked me questions, and I will do my best to answer."

"Like I said, I've been human every night since Halloween. I would say that Halloween surprised the living daylights out of me, but can't really do that when there was no life in me anyway, can I? But you know that day I kept feeling these pains that I couldn't begin to fathom. I was so confused, wondering if it finally meant I was moving on. So I ran off-figuratively, of course- and hid so that no one could hear my whimpers of pain. I…I don't even remember where I went, I just know you wouldn't have been able to find me, and that's what I wanted.

"There's no way of describing my surprise to find myself becoming human, or the pain that accompanied the transformation! Not even in my human life of boundless energy had I inflicted that kind of pain on myself. And when I found myself sitting, staring at my naked legs and hands, I'm not ashamed to admit my terror. I was absolutely scared; a human boy out in the middle of nowhere, no clothes, no way to get home.

"Luckily, or unluckily, depending on the perspective, my time as a human didn't last long that night. After ten minutes I found myself a ghost again. I flew home faster than I ever knew I could and found you asleep, already spent from the Halloween excitement.

"I have been human every night since then. Each night it gradually lasts a little longer. I know I've been absent from your life more and more recently, but this is why. I didn't want to show myself until I had some idea of what was happening, or until I could be sure that it would last longer than just two hours. At this point I can stay human just under seven hours, and I came to you almost as soon as I turned. It will never be as much time as I want with you, but this is still better than anything we've ever had," Casper finished, a bittersweet grin on his face. He wanted to continue but he knew that no matter how aptly Kat paid attention, the poor girl was tired to her bones, and it was time for her to sleep. So he gently untangled her legs from his waist, and lay them down as a pair, with her back cradled against his stomach. Casper would not be there when she woke, but they'd never had enough time together to actually fall asleep together, and that was a start enough for him tonight.

"So," Casper could hear her start groggily, and he knew she'd ponder it all in her sleep without notice, "is it only at night that you become human?" Casper rested his chin atop Kat's head contentedly, and took pride in how smart she was. She had arrived at that question even more quickly than he had, and he was the one living the inexplicable! "I think so, yes. I've started to notice that the transformation pains only start in the early evening, so I think of it as a sort of continuance of the Cinderella thing."

Kat laughed at the obvious annoyance in Casper's voice. Anything that connected him to a princess story- well, that just wasn't to be born. She sobered at the thought of him enduring such great pain on a nightly basis, alone. "I wish there was some way I could help you, be there for you," she admitted softly as she readjusted to face him. "Now that I know about this, there shouldn't be any reason for you to go through this alone-" "No," Casper shook his head, stopping that thought quickly. "The transformation process is awkward enough when it's just me. I can't even begin to describe…how strange it is to watch with the eyes of a ghost as my form lengthens and splits into legs, and how my vision changes when I gain human eyes. A very strange process, and I'm not ready to have anyone witness it, not even my dearest Kat. Is that ok?"

Kat wrapped her arms around him, loving the feel of his happy laughter reverberate against her face. A human Casper was the happiest Casper, and she would respect anything that he needed. "Of course it's ok, silly. I would never want to add to your discomfort."

Casper kissed her forehead. "Then Kat Harvey, I say it is time to sleep. I haven't slept as a human in almost 93 years, and you've been sleepier every day that I see you lately. We can talk more tomorrow night once you're more rested?"

Kat pretended to think it over with a mocking stroke of her chin, but dropped the façade when wandering hands started to tickle her in…interesting places. Typical Casper. "Sounds fair to me. And since there's time to talk more tomorrow night, there's also another time for you use your hands, wouldn't you say?" Casper stopped his inappropriate tickling and had the grace to utter a sheepish apology. "And please…talk to me tomorrow, during the day? Don't hide just because you've become a ghost again. There's so much we can talk about, that that time will be quite useful to us." This question opened up just how much it did hurt Kat when Casper hid away. it was understandable now, why he did it, but it didn't make it hurt any less and even in his sleepy state Casper could sense it; he was so attuned to anything that had to do with Kat.

"I promise I won't hide from you, I never want to hide from you again," and with that Casper wrapped his arms around the petite girl and closed his eyes, ready for the best night of his life, living or undead. And Kat thought through everything she'd learned in such a short time, and all the questions still answered, and of the consequences that this would all have.

Kat was a teenage girl spending a night in the arms of the boy she…loved? Adored, most certainly, but she hadn't been aware of when or if it crossed over into love. Regardless, it would be a most pleasant night's sleep. And as Kat drifted off, she decided it would be very important to call Laurie in the morning. They'd been looking forward to the Saturday night sleepover, but perhaps that could wait. Normally Kat hated the girls who pushed their friends to the side once a boy entered the picture, but…this was Casper. Casper wasn't human twenty-four hours a day, seven hours a week. And Laurie was; Kat got to be human best friends with Laurie five days a week minimum; she only had the night time to be with a human Casper, and until she could figure out how to keep him human, she would take advantage of that time.

She giggled suddenly; Casper's hands now rested on her stomach, beneath her shirt, and he'd curled up his legs and rested his chilled feet on her ankles. "Casper you're freezing! Why didn't you say anything before?" His breath sounded at the back of her head in an audible chuckle, and Kat enjoyed the sound of his human voice, a hint of teasing to be heard in it. "I fit in this bed 93 years ago, when I was twelve, I can't believe you've never replaced it!" Truth be told, Kat did remember noticing a year ago that his feet did hang off the edge of the bed. Though his feet were still covered, that space between the mattress and the footboard would probably be a little less warm than the rest of the bed. Kat wouldn't know though, as Casper indirectly pointed out was due to her lack of height.

"Well, now that we've accomplished that I am the same size you were as a twelve year old, I hope you know I will always hold it over your head that being short has its advantages at times. But if you'd like, I can scrounge up some socks?" Kat offered, a small part of her hoping that Casper wouldn't make her leave the toasty warm bed. "No, I can more than make do with you as my personal space heater." That comment earned Casper an elbow to the side and normally he would've seen that as a challenge, but he was too eager to sleep as a human for the first time in almost a century, and for the first time with the girl he loved. Horse play would definitely continue another time.

And just before Kat drifted off altogether, she remembered one thing from their last snippet of a conversation. "I didn't want to get rid of the bed because it was yours. I..I love having something that belonged to you," Kat murmured. She felt Casper press his lips to the back of her neck and then he was still, happily delivered to the land of sleep. And the last conscious thought Kat knew was whether she had fallen into her own, peculiar version of a fairytale, or whether this was all the oddest version of reality any human had ever been a part of.

Just as expected, Kat woke up alone, a cold space right behind her where a warm body had lain only a few hours before. A sad smile on her face, Kat turned onto her back after a long night on one side. With Casper holding her until he'd disappeared, she hadn't been willing to move an inch, and she hadn't really needed to anyway. That was the most comfortable night's sleep Kat could remember in years. In fact, not since Amelia's passing had Kat slept so contentedly. Casper gave her that same level of comfort that Kat had gotten as a little child, climbing in bed with her mom to read, or to play with her mom's hair. Of course Casper was comforting in a different, romantic sense, but overall it was the same.

There was a clear indent where Casper had slept next to her, Kat could see. The comforter looked as if it was still bunched up around an extra person; Casper must have stayed up until the very end and only left when he was a ghost once more. _"He'd better keep his promise_," Kat thought wryly, remembering how she'd wrangled a promise from the ghost-man to not hide from her during the day. She had a conversation to hold with Casper, and if he wanted any chance of the hanky-panky continuing, well then he'd better zoom his little ghostly behind into her presence before too long.

"Oi! Flesh-face! Where be our little nephew? I notice he doesn't go around like a peeping Tom near you anymore these days, what happened, did 'e finally learn some manners? Shame, I've been doing my best to not give him an example to live by…Ahh, but you clearly weren't alone last night, wonder what little shrimp will think of that" Kat cut her eyes and groaned at Stretch, who welcomed himself into her bedroom and started flitting around. She liked to think of Stretch as a stubborn pimple; no matter how many times you tried to pop it, it was insistent in its determination to mar your face. And just like a pimple, Stretch refused to let Kat's attempts to 'pop' him deter his resolve and so in her life he remained. At this moment he'd hit a little too close to home; if he could tell that she'd had company last night there was no way she'd be able to hide it from her father.

"Don't be stupid," Kat started as she walked around the bed to the side nearest the balcony, starting to tidy up for the day. "Ahh!" she cried out, stepping in something cold. She looked down to find a small dusting of snow decorating the already white carpet, and then gazed outside. Oh! Kat had been so preoccupied last night that she hadn't even noticed that it had snowed, and quite a bit. Everything outside was crystallized, glistening in the sun like stars. She smiled and went back to straightening up her bed; it was obvious that two people had slept there last night and though Kat's father rarely came into her room, it would not do for him to see that if today were the day for the random tour.

"I wasn't referring to..oh what does it matter. If you find the bulbous head, let him know I'd appreciate some breakfast at a, ahh, _human_ hour. Ever since you came here I never know if I can count on my diet being served properly…" and with that Stretch flittered off, grumbling that Kat had ruined his life.

Kat ignored the miserly ghost as was her habit, continuing on out the door, making her way to breakfast. Once upon a time she'd been too self conscious to go before her dad in her pajamas, but then she'd decided that after all those years of making her wear a t-shirt under her bathing suit, he'd just have to handle the sight of her in baggy pajamas, as horrible as it might be for him. She was comfortable and besides, the most delicious aroma was wafting up from the kitchen, engulfing the entire manor. Casper had apparently won the battle for rights of the kitchen this morning, and Kat had double the reason to not delay any longer in getting to the kitchen.

The delicious aroma only became all the more arresting to Kat's senses when she walked through the old wooden doors to enter the kitchen, filled to the vaulted ceiling with the smells of breakfast.

Dr. Harvey sat at the head of the table, as always, with an open paper in one hand and a steaming cup of hazelnut coffee in the other. There was a slight dribble of the concoction running down the side of the cup and Kat smiled; her dad must've had his first spill just the same as any other day and…yes, there was the small stain on the corner of the newspaper. She sniggered; Dr. Harvey was truly one of a kind, but she wouldn't trade him for any other dad in the world.

"Morning Dad…morning, Casper," she finished somewhat more quietly, but still with a smile as the now elongated form of Casper floated by the stove, waiting for her to take a seat before bringing over a cup of orange juice. Kat had fought with him once about how he waited on them, saying that it wasn't fair to him, and Casper had retorted that he'd let her wait on him when he was human again. Well now…maybe she'd get her way sooner than later.

Kat was so involved in her thoughts that she failed to notice Casper's surprised stare, or the slight gasp that escaped his lips when he flew over with her juice. Dr. Harvey lowered the paper to cast a concerned eye on Casper before turning his attention to his daughter, upon which he spat out his most recent sip of coffee. "Kathleen Eleanor Harvey, what on earth happened to your neck?" She was convinced the pair of them were crazy until Casper held up an empty glass for Kat to use as a reflection check. And there, on the right side of Kat's neck was a big, purple bruise from none other than-

"CASPER!" Kat let the shriek fly without a second thought. Casper James McFadden was going to get it as soon as they were alone. A hickey. Kat, of all girls, had a _hickey!_ And not anywhere easy to hide, oh that would've made Kat's life far too simple. The simple things never happened to her. No, Casper had gifted Kat with a welt of a bruise; a large purple spot right where the neck met chin. It'd be impossible to hide, and she'd have days of worrying about it and explaining to do during the following school week. Nope, there would definitely not be any hanky-panky that night.

However, Dr. Harvey wheezed out a nervous laugh, his eyes shifting from the worried expression on Kat's face to the humiliation on Casper's. Casper…? No it was impossible. Then that must mean…relief broke out over the doctor's face. His daughter was not getting cozy with boys just yet; she would still go off to college and live a successful life. In the last five seconds Dr. Harvey had envisioned Kat's life falling apart. And all over an imagined hickey!

"Casper," Dr. Harvey chuckled, "haven't I always said you didn't know your own strength? Must be more careful with those snowballs in the future! Snowball fights are good and all until someone gets hurt." He chuckled again and went back to his happy world within the newspaper, focusing on the recipes section. There were a few stews he wanted to try, he just _knew_ these would be the ones to finally win Kat over to his cooking.

Kat sat there confused, and she stared at Casper wordlessly, eyes wide as he floated there, gaping at the doctor. Before more could be said, the phone rang and Kat bounced out the room, away from the awkwardness of it all to thank whoever had just rescued her.

11:50 p.m. Casper would be showing up any time now. Kat had waited all day; it had been a wonderful day, but such a waste of valuable time.

She plopped down on her bed, too worn out to even remember that she was still in a towel from her shower, and that she should put clothes on before the teenage boy arrived. It had been such a long day. Laurie called during breakfast to explain that she needed a rain check for a sleepover, but she was heading over shortly so they could at least spend some time together. And spend time together they did. Kat loved having Laurie to herself, because sometimes it was just nice to have a day with the girls. And what a fantastic day of being girls it had been; old movies with junk food, ice skating on the frozen pond, and exploring the manor grounds before a snow fight up until the sun faded from the sky. Dinner had been served at 6 p.m. sharp, and delightfully hot cream of potato soup in a bread bowl had been the tip top end to the wonderful day.

And in the back of her head she'd done nothing but long for midnight to arrive. It seemed that was the magic moment when human Casper would make his grand entrance, and she couldn't wait any longer. That damn ghost; where did he get off, making himself the focus of her thoughts! Kat felt weird; her insides were mushy and she flushed whenever Casper's face popped into her head. If this was what falling in love felt like for a human, she'd have to ask Casper if it was any weirder as a ghost…or was it all in her head?

Kat sat up, holding the towel tightly. "My dad is a psychiatrist and I think I'm crazy. How does that work?" she snorted derisively. Staring down her old Raggedy Ann doll, who for some reason sat in the chair across from her bed, Kat shuddered. That doll had been hidden away years ago, much to Dr. Harvey's dismay. But, it gave Kat the 'heebie jeebies,' and so away it went. Kat suspected that her dad kept it in his closet, liking to keep a link to his daughters' childhood around. It didn't bother her so long as it was kept away from her.

Candlelight flickered all around the room, casting a lush glow on Kat. She smiled, breathing deeply. The smell of lavender…it was the smell of home, the smell of belonging for her.

She and Casper had a lot to talk about that night; he had a lot to say, and so did she. It would be quite the conversation, and Kat was determined not to let herself grow weary before all had been discussed. It would be an allnighter if necessary; she could sleep the day away Sunday, it didn't matter. All of her school work was completed except some last minute studying for an AP Geography exam on Monday, but she could pin point everything on the globe with her eyes closed. Casper was an excellent study buddy. Or he normally was. Kat grinned as she pondered the thought that he might now prove more of a distraction than an asset. "Ohhh Casper…" she sighed.

"Now you're dreaming of me, are you? I hope it's scandalous and funny all in one." Casper had come a couple minutes earlier than expected. Not that she was complaining; he stood in the hall, his arms crossed against his once again shirtless torso. Casper's hair was wet, as though he'd just taken a shower. It wasn't possible, since Kat had just been in there herself. Unless he was that quick and quiet that she didn't notice?

Sure enough, her eyes zeroed in on his stomach and beneath his arms, a drop of water traveled down his navel, disappearing into his flannel pants. Kat let her eyes rove back up his body and rested on his smiling face.

Not caring that she was in a towel and that her dad was just down the hall, holding a conversation with himself and an imagined audience, she ambled over to Casper, taking in all of him eagerly. It also didn't matter that they had quite a bit to talk about, a lot of important things to discuss. Casper was _shirtless_ again, and Kat loved it. She did what any normal warm blooded girl would have down.

Kat launched herself at Casper, letting her towel hold itself up alone as she sunk her fingers into Casper's silky hair. He held her tight against his torso, Kat's feet dangling slightly as he hurried to the bed, crashing his weight down on her as lightly as he could stand.

Kat could only barely think. They were indeed having a conversation, but it was with tongues rather than the words they needed to exchange. Casper's hands were everywhere, slowly creeping up the towel. And Kat knew she had no desire to stop him just yet. She knew eventually the time would come when she would put an end to the raging hormones for the night, but this couldn't keep happening.

She'd have to find him a shirt for Sunday night.

A/N: And there is Chapter 3! The longest chapter I've ever written, but I figure I owe it to you guys since it was a ridiculously long wait, and I left, yet again, with an evil cliffhanger. But I hope I still have some readers and that this was still to your liking. The next chapter is already begun, and I WILL have it up this summer. I don't know when for sure, but it will be this summer.

Also, I want to recognize everyone who's reviewed so far. You guys rock, thanks!

Tetsu Deinonychus (sodium laureth sulfate is definitely going in the formula, thanks!), Lady Dracula, welshrose, Ori Sun, Veritas4Eternity, KageOkami-Kogo, Broken Angel 1753, Samantha Nyx, carrebear14, open hearts catch dreams, melon milk, Archangels, RubyFresh, Rini1986, AiralynnElayne-ArielleElla, I Live in A Box, RynnZekioZusha, Shinigami of Nightmares, Green Sea Blossom, thedeathchandelier, Lilly Rae, Raven Black the Mauraderette, maketrouble94, and alcoholic reader. –Thanks guys! I would never have continued without you.

Till we meet again!


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